Michael John Garcés Named Executive Board President Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society has elected Michael John Garcés as Executive Board President at its Annual Membership Meeting on Monday, November 17. In addition, SDC shared the results of the 2025 Executive Board election and announced Mark Brokaw as the recipient of this year’s President’s Award for Extraordinary Service, bestowed by outgoing SDC Board President Evan Yionoulis.

Garcés is a Los Angeles-based director and playwright whose work elevates both community-engaged and professional theatre. Currently a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, he is the former artistic director of Cornerstone Theater Company and directs at theatres across the country. Garcés was elected for a three-year term.

Elected as Board Officers were John Rando as Executive Vice President, Joshua Bergasse as First Vice President, Dan Knechtges as Treasurer, Leah C. Gardiner as Secretary, Tamilla Woodard as Second Vice President, and Joseph Haj as Third Vice President.

Kent Gash, JoAnn M. Hunter, Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, Lorin Latarro, Jess McLeod, and Lisa Peterson were newly elected to the Board to serve as At-large members and incumbent Board members Joshua Bergasse, Leah C. Gardiner, Dan Knechtges, Michael Mayer, and Robert O’Hara were re-elected to three-year terms. Vivienne Benesch was elected as Southeast Regional Representative and Susan V. Booth was elected as Central Regional Representative. At the Membership Meeting, Yionoulis also recognized outgoing Executive Board members Liz Diamond, Lydia Fort, Christopher Gattelli, and Annie-B Parson for their invaluable work and service.  

Yionoulis presented the 2025 President’s Award for Extraordinary Service, which is traditionally given to a Member who has contributed to the strength of the Union, to the late Mark Brokaw. An SDC Member since 1991, Brokaw served on the SDC Executive Board for more than 20 years, including two terms as Vice President, and served as President of SDC Foundation from 2020-2024.

Yionoulis noted Brokaw’s illustrious career as a director in her remarks, as well as his service to SDC. “His experience as a director of new work served the Union well as he co-chaired the groundbreaking LORT negotiations that secured coverage for Development work. For Off-Broadway he co-chaired the successful fight to cover Fight Choreography. Both negotiations made it possible for SDC to subsequently advance these protections in other jurisdictions.”

The SDC Executive Board Officers are President Michael John Garcés, Executive Vice President John Rando, First Vice President Joshua Bergasse, Treasurer Dan Knechtges, Secretary Leah C. Gardiner, Second Vice President Tamilla Woodard, and Third Vice President Joseph Haj.

Members of the executive board include Saheem Ali, Vivienne Benesch, Melia Bensussen, Anne Bogart, Susan V. Booth, Shelley Butler, Donald Byrd, Desdemona Chiang, Valerie Curtis-Newton, Kent Gash, Steven Hoggett, JoAnn M. Hunter, Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, Moisés Kaufman, Lorin Latarro, Michael Mayer, Jess McLeod,  Robert O’Hara, Lisa Peterson, Sam Pinkleton, Lisa Portes, Lonny Price, Jon Lawrence Rivera, Ellenore Scott, Leigh Silverman, Katie Spelman, Susan Stroman, Maria Torres, Annie Yee